Where is the line between what a surgeon needs to know and what technology can look up for them? On this episode of BackTable Industry, host Anish Parikh interviews Dr. Satyan Sreenath, rhinologist and skull base surgeon at Indiana University, about building operative comfort, lifelong learning, and the new role of artificial intelligence in clinical education. They discuss how surgical autonomy develops during residency, the resources that fill the gap after training, and the practical realities of staying current as technology and patient expectations evolve.
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Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction05:48 - Graduating During the COVID-19 Pandemic08:18 - Building Operative Comfort in Residency12:14 - Competency Benchmarks and Board Readiness15:27 - Educational Resources and Surgical Autonomy19:21 - Continuing Education Routine22:41 - Society Curricula and Hands-On Courses27:52 - Artificial Intelligence in Practice33:20 - Staying Current with New Technology 36:08 - Balloon Sinuplasty and Patient Expectations38:22 - Societies, Meetings, and Closing Remarks
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More about this episode
Dr. Sreenath shares how he sets up a routine for continuing education, what he looks for in society curricula, podcasts, and hands-on courses, and why repetition and autonomy matter more than simply gathering information. The conversation covers the rise of AI in the exam room, the credibility gap when patients bring in their own research, and the value of in-person meetings and peer networks. The episode closes with practical advice on navigating new technologies, building confidence, and why surgical comfort is earned, not downloaded.
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Resources
FLEX, the Focused Lifelong Education Xperience, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeryhttps://www.entnet.org/education/flex/
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeryhttps://www.entnet.org/
American Rhinologic Societyhttps://www.american-rhinologic.org/
Rhinology Roundtable, the American Rhinologic Society podcast serieshttps://www.american-rhinologic.org/rhinology-roundtable-podcast
BackTable Industry Episode 96, Navigating Revenue Cycle Management Challenges in Healthcare, named on air by the guesthttps://www.backtable.com/shows/industry/podcasts/96/navigating-revenue-cycle-management-challenges-in-healthcare
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia, referenced on air by title-less mentionhttps://peterattiamd.com/outlive/
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